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Chapter 325
Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor

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“Lord Ian isn’t here? What about the canceled holiday?”

“Sudden field work? Where to? When will he return?”

Outside the tightly closed office. Employees from other departments shuffled their feet awkwardly. With armfuls of documents, there was no one to review them! The mage smiled apologetically and shrugged.

“I’m sorry. It was decided at the urgent morning meeting, so word must not have spread well. Other departments have been coming and going through word of mouth. We don’t know when he’ll return.”

“This is driving me crazy, really. Then what about the Assistant-“

Though they thought about getting the Assistant’s help, that wasn’t possible either. Romandro passing by was an ordinary person like them, not a mage.

The employees’ heads slowly turned following Romandro’s back. He was crossing the lobby with a determined expression, looking as serious as if heading into battle. The employees sniffled and asked.

“…Why is Lord Romandro acting like that?”

So unlike him.

He looked ever so slightly, microscopically similar to how Minister Ian appeared whenever he turned the Imperial Palace upside down.

Having seen and heard things up close, he must be unconsciously mimicking that behavior. Of course, being a different person, the feeling was quite different.

“The Assistant is out on field work too. If it’s urgent that’s one thing, but if not, leave your documents here. I’ll deliver them right away when Minister Ian returns.”

“Sigh. Alright. Please do.”

“Thank you for your work.”

Rattle!

Romandro pulled his mustache taut as he opened the office door. The atmosphere was extremely chaotic. All the mages who had been working had left their seats and gathered in a corner, while Hale was going through Felix’s desk with a cigarette in his mouth.

Hale, reading through documents, greeted Romandro.

“You’ve come.”

“Found anything?”

“Well. Not yet.”

Everything was in complete disarray, with personal lockers and even the trash bin by his feet all turned over.

Hale slowly turned the pages one by one, checking for anything suspicious. Then suddenly noticing everyone in the office watching him, he shrugged.

“Everyone get back to work. Don’t mind this.”

“How can we not mind when you’re doing that, Lord Hale?”

“That’s right. Ph-Felix, did he do something wrong?”

“That crazy bastard. Whatever he did, must’ve been big.”

“If you tell us what you’re looking for, we can help.”

Instead of answering, Hale just blew out smoke. Coming from a different department and suddenly overturning desks, now even Romandro joining in. They clearly sensed something was going wrong.

“Who sits next to Felix?”

“M-me.”

“Notice anything suspicious? Like reports that seemed unrelated to work appearing frequently. Or him not fitting in. Or well, you know. Use your judgment.”

As Hale switched from searching to questioning, Romandro slowly examined things fallen to the floor. As he said, nothing special seemed apparent.

“We practically live here, what’s there to fit in or not? He handled work well enough too. If anything unusual, it’s that he distinguished between the office and mansion?”

“What does that mean?”

“Just what I said. Everyone else receives packages here, but Felix always insisted on going through the mansion first. Even though it must have been troublesome.”

“Now that you mention it, true. Usually he’d bring things after going home, or even take half days off sometimes.”

There must definitely be something at the mansion. Romandro pulled out a note with Felix’s personal information and read it.

“Restorn Street 343, Noon Mansion 3rd floor, is that right?”

“Don’t know. Never been there.”

“Isn’t that what he wrote when joining? Didn’t he move once? I remember because that bastard suddenly took leave and I had to handle his work.”

It was common for mages’ registered and actual residences to differ. Since the duty room was their second home, many just registered their address without actually living there. Even Hale was registered as living with Nakina and Tommy.

“This got complicated.”

Though they hadn’t expected to find him right away, facing it was troublesome. Romandro took out his notebook and tapped the pen tip.

“Bring Felix’s leave request forms.”

“Yes? Yes yes!”

“Hey, pinpoint exactly when he moved based on the dates here. Since we know he did live at Restorn Street 343, we can start investigating from there.”

At Romandro’s direction, a mage rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a stack of papers. Perhaps including half days, it was thicker than expected. Hale muttered while stubbing out his cigarette.

“This bastard, was he just playing around instead of working…”

Tap tap. A mage examining together pointed out one date. It was after the execution of the seven central noble families, not too long ago.

“Seems we can find it quickly. Let’s head out.”

“Understood. Nakina and Tommy should be waiting.”

“You’re dead meat. Felix, you stinking bastard!”

As Romandro burst out of the office showing his fist, Hale signaled to the mages. An order to clean up afterward without being told.

“Lord Hale! Please tell us what wrong Felix did!”

“Th-that’s right. We should know too.”

“…Lord Ian will tell you himself later.”

“Lord Hale!”

Rattle!

But Hale closed the door without answering. Outside, Romandro was giving the schedule to Nakina and Tommy.

“Since it takes about an hour by carriage, today’s goal is to find out before sunset…”

“An hour? It only takes ten minutes.”

“Huh? What?”

“Chief Hale! Are we taking a carriage?”

Nakina waved to Hale as she asked. Romandro’s complexion suddenly turned blue. He clutched the carriage like a lifeline and shook his head.

“I-I-I’m taking the carriage.”

“Come on. You said the goal is to find out before sunset. We should save every minute we can. Here.”

Zing. Ziing.

Whoosh.

“No! No, I refuse!”

“It’s fine. You won’t fall if you don’t struggle.”

“P-please refrain from such talk! Please!”

Tommy released his magical power while firmly gripping Romandro’s hand. Romandro kept shaking his head, saying no, he couldn’t experience something like that ever again.

But his body floated up regardless of his resistance.

“Aaaahh! Aack!”

“Everyone else found it fun though?”

“I’m not Beric!”

Flash!

Whooosh!

With a final cry, Romandro shot into the sky. His scream, nearly a wail, grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared.

Passing mages looked around in confusion but couldn’t find the source. They had already vanished far in the sky, like mere dots.

“Wahoooo! This is killer!”

“Beric! It’s not killer, you’ll really die!”

“Aaaagya! Ahahahaha!”

Meanwhile, at that time. There were others flying through the sky like Romandro’s group. None other than Ian’s party who had just fallen from the black moon.

Bodies falling without resistance. Though it was closer to a crash landing, Beric was so excited he flailed his limbs as if swimming. The mages shouted toward Ian.

“Lord Ian!”

Zing! Zing!

The portal collapsed as it was dismantled. This was due to withdrawing the magical power that had been focused there. They continued falling down, down with fragments of the black moon.

‘Prince Noah is in the middle of the procession.’

“Lord Ian! Your orders!”

“The objective is stopping the carriages! About 3 kilometers to the border!”

“What is it? What are you all talking about? Tell me too!”

“Shut up, we can’t hear with your voice mixing in!”

“Iaaan! I can’t hear!”

The sound of cutting through wind was tremendous, so communication was impossible. They had to use magical power. Beric begging to be included and a confused Barsabe tensed as they watched the approaching ground.

“If unavoidable, we must accept sacrifices as well!”

“Understood!”

“Selena, Yen, and Demis take the rear! If we block the front first there’s possibility of collision, so guide them to reduce speed starting from the back! Tayla, Kanchi cut off the middle! Each take Beric and Barsabe down!”

“Yes! I’ll take center right, Kanchi left!”

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Iaaan! What about me! Me!”

Whoosh! Whish!

Beric drew his sword and waved it.

The carriages were getting closer, really not much time left. Tayla holding Beric conveyed the orders for him, and he made circles with his arms in acknowledgment. At Ian’s gesture, the mages descended even faster.

Falling like meteors drawing smooth arcs. The drivers frantically wielding whips turned their heads to look up at them.

Neeeigh!

Clatter clatter!

“Keep your wits about you and keep running!”

“Increase speed more! More!”

The mages’ movements in the sky were ominous. At Prince Noah’s orders, his subordinates even took down flags to minimize resistance. The procession was in chaos with rattling wheel sounds, horses’ hoofbeats, subordinates’ orders, all sorts of commotion.

Bang! Thoom!

Then, a tremendous roar from the rear. Those running ahead looked back but couldn’t secure visibility due to smoke.

“W-what’s that!”

“There’s a problem at the rear!”

“Your Highness, what should we do?”

Three mages attached to the rear drawing concentric circles in the air. Being non-field staff, never having used speed magic while flying was a problem if anything.

They combined their powers to create a single central axis, and aimed slightly behind the middle of the procession to detonate magical power.

«Restraint» (기속(羈束, gisok = restrain, bind; bind, restrict))

Light emanating from the ground. It shot up toward the mages, then precisely struck down into the ground.

Bang! Boom! Boom!

Neeeigh!

“Aaaahh!”

“Stop! Wait! This-!”

Horses that had been running well tumbled as they were blocked by the restraint, and carriages that were hit directly shattered and toppled sideways. Though screams could be heard, Noah bit his lip and ordered to advance.

“Don’t look back and run!”

Whoosh!

Just then, something passing over Prince Noah. Looking out the window with his upper body, it was Beric. He had separated from the mage and climbed onto a carriage behind. Beric’s eyes, lying flat and looking around, met directly with Noah’s.

“Huh?! Wrong carriage! What if you drop me off wrong!?”

“Damn it!”

“Grape country prince! Stop the carriage! If not, Ian said he’d destroy everything!”

Though he hadn’t actually said that, it didn’t matter since that’s what would happen anyway. Though Beric shouted, Noah ignored him and went back inside the carriage. He crawled down toward the driver’s seat.

“Ack! W-who are you!”

“This carriage is mine from now!”

“Hey, here! Here!”

Clang! Clang!

Though guards rushed in from both sides, Beric nimbly dodged and kicked them away. Those who fell from the carriage knocked over the horses following right behind.

Rumble rumble. Thoom.

Swinging a sword on shaking ground was surprisingly fun. Explosion sounds could be heard from where Barsabe had landed on the other side too.

Now what to do. Just as Beric was turning toward Prince Noah while humming a tune, the ground started shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

“Ahead! The guard post is visible!”

“Pass through! Just need to get through!”

“Keep the speed-!”

Someone tried to shout “up” but stopped.

In the distance, wasn’t the ground rising? Thick stems shot up from gaps splitting left and right.

«Ten Thousand Leaves» (만엽(萬葉, manyeop = ten thousand, myriad; leaf))

When the boy standing in the air gestured, the stems rapidly rushed at the carriages. As dense leaves descended upon them, the drivers unconsciously squeezed their eyes shut.

“Stop.”

And a small voice echoing in their ears.

It was Ian speaking through magical power.

“If you stop on your own you’ll live, but if not, you’ll die.”

Story Arcs